Crank-case ventilating system



D. E. ANDERSON CRANKCASE VENTILATING SYSTEM June 3, 1930. l

Filed bec. 27, 1927 UNITED STATES Patented June .3, 1930 'PATENT oer-tics DAVID E. ANDERSONQOF DETROIT, MICHIGAN a i CRANE-EASE lVEN.IIII'JA'JIING' SYSTEM Application'filed December 27, 1927. Serial No. 242,564.

This invention relates to an arrangementv for Ventilating the ,crankcavse of an internal combustion engine to withdraw water-vapor, gasoline fumes and other products of combustion which escape past the piston rings and enter the crankcase. If left to condense, these particles unite with the engine oil, destroying its lubricating properties. It is desirable that the crankcase fumes be returned vto the engine cylinders for when discharged' into the ati--v mosphere, they are likely to find their way into the vehiclebody and cause discomfort to the passengers. When the fumes are led into the carburetor air intake, it is apparent that at high engine speeds the suction will be so great that a considerable'volume of gases will be withdrawn lfrom the'crankcase and,

owing to the speed flow, oil particles are likely to be entrained with the gases and enter the carburetor.' Here they wouldcollect upon the Adelicate adjusting mechanisms, or` settle in the fine-bored fuel passages and in timein- `terfere with the action of the carburetor.v To

prevent this difliculty, I have devised an arrangement in which the flow of vapors from the crankcase is reducedat highengine speeds or when the engine fuel consumption is large, as when it is operating under heavy load. rlhis, I accomplish by a connection between the usual throttle valve and the valve provided in the conduit connecting the crankcase.

' with the carburetor air intake passage. The

connection is preferably such that the iow thru the lastnamed passage is restricted in an increasing-amount as the throttle valve is opened.

I have illustrated my preferred construction in the somewhat diagrammatic view shown on the drawing. I have preferred to use,'for purposes of. illustration, a Cadillac V-8 lengine and the ligure is, in part, a verti- 1 cal section thru the center of the V. The refopening, 4, illustrated as of conventional type.'4

erence character 2 indicates a portion of the crankcase of lnternal combustion englne.

The crankcase 1s provided wlth a breather although, if preferred, a breather equipped with an air filter or cleaner may be used instead to insure that nothing but clean air enters the crankcase.

v 6 indicates the carburetor which supplies mixture to the cylinders thru cross-comico-` tion 8, which extends between the manifolds, 10, of the two blocks, one only of which is shown in the ligure. I

A throttle valve, 12, is provided inthe intake passages and this is operable by means of suitable links and levers from the drivers compartment. Air is supplied to carburetor 6 thru conduit 14, which is equipped with an a0 air cleaner 16. This cleaner is preferably of the conventional AC type, having means for giving the air a whirlingmotion so that dust particles are thrown outwardly by centrifugal action and discharged thru slot 18 while ce the clean air enters passage 20 connected with a conduit, 14.

`The -crankcase is provided with an outlet,

22, extending into the conduit, 14, and fter` minating in a nozzle, 24, extendingin 'the 70 direction of 'air flow. Within the outlet is arranged a iap valve, 26, yieldingly held upon its seat by a light spring, 28, reacting at its other end against plate 30. 'A cam, 32,

carried by shaft, 34,-bears against the plate,

30, and when rotatedin a clockwise direction forces the plate 30 downwardly increas-l ing the compression of the spring, 28, and thereby more firmly holding valve 26 upon its seat. Shaft 34 is connected by arm 40 and so fects the nozzle, 24, causing valve 26 to be 9 0 raised in opposition to the pressure of the spring, 28, resulting in the withdrawal of vapors from the crankcase and their replacement by air entering thru breather 4.-. As the throttle is opened, cam 32 is rotated toin- 95 crease the force of spring 28 so. that increasedsuction applied to the nozzle, 24, 'is met by increasing resistance to opening of the valve, 26. Consequently, there 1s no increase in ilow of vapors from the crankcase at wide 1 00 l open position of the throttle.v It is appari ent that by proper design of the camf32zralnyt" 1s, the desi 'may be suc that ow from the n referred rate of flow ma be obtained.

crankcase 1s entlrely-cut oi at high engine speeds, is greatly 1. In an engine including a crankcas'e'hav-f lin a breather opening, a carburetor pro Y vige an intake d with an air intake passage',

y. vconduit conducting the fuel mixture tothe as the throttle valveis opene named valve is'urged more stronglyftoward i cylinders, a throttle valve in said conduit, a

passage and said crankcase, a valve controlling the connectionbetween said air intake ow ofr vapors thru said connection, aspring vurging the valve upon its seat, and means controlled b y the po'sltion of said throttle valve for varying the tension of the sprmg so that the second its seat. Y l

2. In the combination as defined in claim 1,.said last named means comprising a cam t rotated byy connection with said 'Qthrottle Y valve.

cylinders, a thrott e valve in said conduit, a

, connection Vbetween said air 'intakejpassage and said crankcase, and means for controlling ,the flow of vapors-thru said connection, said meansbeng 'connected the throttle valve for conjoint operatiomsaidljmeans comprising a valve, a spring v'f o'ri yieldingly holding the valve upon its seat 'and' foradjust ing the tension of saidspring ijiaaccordance f With'the position'r of the 'throttlevalve,V

whereof I aiiix mysign'ature.

In testimony 3; In an engineineluding aicrankcasehav v j ing a breather opening, a carburetor ,proef Q vided with anair intake passage,n-intake conduit conductin vthe fuel mixture tothe 

